So this week I am writing about inspiration due to Mentha’s comment on the last blog (thank you, Mentha:). What do I do to get inspired, where does it come from? Inspiration is such a personal thing, and it can be so different from day to day. I’ve been trying to ask myself these same questions so that I may be able to control it more.

There’s a quote from one of my favorite books “The War of Art ” by Steven Pressfield (I highly recommend this book esp. if you are an artist) where someone asks him if he only writes when inspiration hits him or if he has a specific time. His response is “I write when inspiration hits me. Fortunately it’s everyday at 9am.” Basically he’s saying that if you are an artist, you work on your craft every day ‘cuz if you waited until you were inspired you could wait forever.

For me, I don’t write every day but I do play and practice my existing songs every day or as close to that as I can. Mostly, that’s just because I have a lot of songs already and writing more is not a focus. Getting the songs that I already have out into the world is:-)

But when I am inspired, it’s something that seems uncontrollable.(There’s an amazing TED talk given by Elizabeth Gilbert the author of “Eat Pray Love” about that topic, that I highly suggest googling). Lately it’s been happening at 2am when I’m trying to fall asleep. I’m humming a melody with some lyrics and I think “Oh I’ll remember it in the morning”. Having learned from the past, I of course, get up and record it into my recorder because you never remember it in the morning.:-)

So sometimes, that’s how it starts. Just a melody with some thoughts on lyrics. Then I try to find the right chords to put behind it. Other times, I’m playing around on the piano or guitar and I find chord progressions that I like, and I start singing a melody with the first words that  come to me. It may take a few hours and even days or weeks until I find the right words. Sometimes I don’t find the fit, and I have a bunch of “unfinished songs”. There’s a song I have that is probably 2 years old “If it’s Not Broken”, that I love and I go back to it occasionally  but I can’t seem to find the right words. The lyrics are usually the hardest part just because I think they are so important and if they don’t feel right, I don’t enjoy singing the song.

Then there is the rare and lovely occasion where lyrics and melody come at the same time and it feels like it was written by the heavens!:-) Those are the moments you live for, as a songwriter. That happened with one of my songs called “Right Now”, on the upcoming album. I think I wrote it in about 30 minutes or so and I cherish that experience. I cannot wait for you to hear it.

To get inspired I try to do all kinds of different things….like go out with friends, see live music, try a new restaurant, go for a run, talk to a stranger, listen to some of my favorite music (which is mostly old school stuff) like The Beatles, Pearl Jam, or Fiona Apple. Or sometimes a good ol’ dance party in my living room can inspire me (for that I like cheesy top 40:-). It doesn’t always happen right away but doing these small things consistently, leads up to a more inspired life.

What do you to to stay inspired? Do you have any tips? Any songs or stories about inspiration you’d like to share? I’d love to hear whatever you got! Happy MLKJr. Day!

Lot’s of inspirational love,

Dana